In Clinical Observations At Caring Medical Great Benefit Is Seen In Injecting Bone Marrow Directly After Extracting It
The theory is that the number of stem cells is not as important as how long they live in their natural environment. In other words, when the bone marrow is directly injected, the source of stem cells is fresh and has great potential for healing. We also believe that the body knows best it can use these immature cells to regenerate all injured tissues in the joint.
Radiofrequency Ablation For Knee Pain
If all of these methods fail to control your knee pain from osteoarthritis, there are still options. Radiofrequency ablation controls pain in the knees by destroying the sensory nerves that carry the pain signal from the knee to the brain.
RFA is likely a temporary fix, as nerves will grow back in six months to two years, and the pain may return.
What Happens After Meniscal Transplant Surgery
Talk with your healthcare provider about what you can expect after your surgery. In some cases, you may be able to go home a few hours after your surgery. In other cases, you may need to stay overnight at the hospital for monitoring.
You may have some pain right after your surgery, but pain medicines may help to ease the pain. The pain should quickly begin to diminish, and you should have less pain than before your surgery.
After your surgery, you will probably need to wear a knee brace for a few weeks. You might also need to use crutches during this time. Your healthcare provider will give you instructions about how you can move your knee while you recover. You might need physical therapy for a few months to help you maintain your strength and range of motion. It may be several months before you can return to all your previous activities.
You may have some fluid draining from your incision, which is normal. Let your healthcare provider know right away if you see an increase in redness, swelling, or draining from your incision, or if you have a high fever, chills, or severe pain.
Make sure to keep all your follow-up appointments, so your healthcare provider can monitor your progress. Following all of your healthcare providers instructions may increase your chances for a positive outcome.
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Effective Alternatives To A Knee Replacement Surgery
Before you go under the surgeons knife, you should consider alternatives to a knee replacement surgery. You may be an excellent candidate for orthobiologic treatments that can delay or even remove the need for surgery. These minimally invasive treatments can lubricate joints, protect cartilage cells, improve shock absorption, activate healing response, and harness the patients own repair cells.
Do You Have Knee Arthritis What Are Your Knee Replacement Alternatives
If you have knee arthritis, you may be wondering if a total knee replacement is the only option for treatment. If youre wondering about how to avoid a total knee replacement, you might watch Dr. Bennetts video talk on that topic. In this video, Dr. J. Michael Bennett talks about advancements in knee arthroplasty or knee replacements, cartilage implantation and micro-fracture all knee replacement alternatives as treatments for arthritis of the knee. Hes a Knee Specialist who also specializes in treating injuries of the shoulder and elbow, plus some hand and wrist injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Dr. Bennett is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Fellowship Trained Sports Medicine Physician with offices in Sugar Land, near First Colony Mall and in Houston, near the Houston Galleria. Call 281-633-8600 for appointments at our Sugar Land office and 713-234-3152 for appointments at our Houston office.
This is a summary of Dr. Bennetts video:
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When Its Time For Knee Replacement Surgery
Knee arthritis can get worse in spite of treatment. If youve tried these methods and are still dealing with pain, it might be time to discuss knee replacement with an experienced orthopaedic surgeon. Total knee replacement is a major procedure, but it can offer better quality of life and improved mobility that last for many years.
A total knee replacement is more of a resurfacing of the bones in the knee: the end of the femur , the top of the tibia and the inward facing surface of the patella, or kneecap. The surgeon removes the bony surfaces and replaces them with metal and plastic implants. The plastic serves the same purpose as the cartilage, helping the implants glide against each other smoothly.
There are constant innovations in the field of knee replacement. For instance, more surgeons are using regional anesthesia for the procedure, which can mean a shorter hospital stay compared with when general anesthesia is used. New multimodal pain approaches, surgical techniques and physical therapy after these surgeries are all improving a patients knee replacement experience.
Knee Replacement Surgery Not A Permanent Cure
Typically, the new metal joint from a knee replacement can last between 10 and 15 years. Because of this, even with a perfect procedure, many patients will need two or even more replacements in their lifetime, depending on their age at the time of the first procedure. Although most replacements are done on patients between the age of 60 and 80, there are now people even younger being recommended for this surgery.
This translates to about 700,000 Americans, according to the CDC, now having a knee replacement every year. And, approximately 105,000 of those patients will be back in the hospital for a repeat surgery long before 15 years, especially if they are obese or extremely active.
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Cellular Therapies For Knee Pain
Cellular therapies, above all stem cell therapy, are a relatively new treatment option for symptoms of degeneration of the knee or knee joints. There are several ways to treat the knee with stem cells, from or injections to intravenous . We have already written a detailed article on this. Click here to read the article:
Operations On The Knee: The Last Resort
Does an operation always have to be carried out? Knee replacement is a potential treatment option. But you may not need an operation, at least not right away. Some patients cannot undergo knee replacement surgery for various reasons. Other people with knee pain are too young to have a knee replacement – the artificial knee will likely only last 15 or 20 years, after which the person is likely to have to have another operation.
For these reasons, for some patients, alternatives to surgery may be a better solution.
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Cortisol And Hyaluronic Acid Injections
There is a lot of scientifically proven evidence that cortisone and hyaluronic acid injections âlubricateâ the inner workings of the knee and thus alleviate arthritis pain. Such injections can provide temporary relief â usually for a few months – and help you stay on your feet and postpone the surgery. Unfortunately, they don’t offer a long-term solution.
How Can The Regenerative Clinic Help
The Regenerative Clinic offers numerous non-operative and surgical alternatives to knee replacement surgery .
Our expert team of consultant surgeons specialise in treating orthopaedic injuries, sports injuries, arthritis and other degenerative conditions using advanced non-surgical techniques including Micro-Fragmented Adipose Tissue , Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate , Platelet Rich Plasma therapy and nSTRIDE Autologous Protein Solution. They can provide traditional orthopaedic surgery but will offer minimally invasive alternatives where suitable.
Book your consultation by calling
Art is back to skiing after Micro-Fragmented Adipose Tissue treatment for his left knee, which is now 9 out of 10. Read full story.
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Stem Cell Knee Replacement Alternative
An interesting medical advancement is the stem cell alternative to knee replacement. In theory, this type of therapy uses the bodys natural healing abilities to repair cartilage damage. The goal is to:
- Slow and repair damage
- Reduce pain and inflammation
- Prevent knee replacement surgery
The procedure involves taking blood from the patient, concentrating the stem cells, and injecting those cells into the knee.
At this time, the Arthritis Foundation, the American College of Rheumatology, and the FDA do not recommend this form of treatment. It is considered investigational because there is not enough evidence to prove it is safe or effective. These entities will not endorse a treatment simply based on anecdotal evidence. However, as of August 5, 2020, a new clinical study was underway to test whether stem cells are effective for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
What Happens When Your Knee Is Bone On Bone
When your knee is bone on bone, it means that the cartilage between your bones has worn away. This can happen due to arthritis, injury, or overuse. Bone on bone contact can be extremely painful and make it difficult to move your knee. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the damage.
Osteoarthritis is a progressive joint disease in which the tissues in the joint deteriorate over time. In the first few days, the symptoms are mild however, as the condition progresses, it can become more severe. In fact, bone on bone knee pain is extremely rare and frequently misdiagnosed. There are numerous alternatives to surgery that can be used to alleviate pain without the need for a procedure. Joint Gel Injections can relieve pressure, reduce pain, and increase range of motion. Radio waves used in genicular nerve Ablation block pain signals coming from the genicular nerves . An pharmacologic solution is injected into dysfunctional tendons and ligaments in order to repair them.
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Exploring The Options For Knee Replacement Surgery
Doctors from Australia published these observations about their patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis in the medical journal BioMed Central Musculoskeletal Disorders.
They had concerns about knee replacement being the right choice for every patient.
- The Australian team noted that current accepted medical treatment strategies for osteoarthritis are aimed at symptom control rather than curing or reversing the disease. Once symptom control can no longer control pain in knee osteoarthritis patients, surgical options including knee replacement are given.
- However, the recommendation for knee replacement is sometimes not carefully examined as the best option. Before knee replacement is agreed to the possibility of significant complications after knee replacement should be discussed with patients.
The answer patients want to explore non-surgical stem cell treatments:
- There is a growing patient interest in the area of regenerative medicine, led by an improved understanding of the role of mesenchymal stem cells in tissue repair.
Encouragingly, results of pre-clinical and clinical trials have provided initial evidence of efficacy and indicated safety in the therapeutic use of mesenchymal stem cell therapies for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
So Why Were You Recommended For Knee Replacement Surgery
There are several reasons why your doctor may recommend knee replacement surgery. Recently, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons published general criteria which included the following reasons:
- Patients in severe pain.
- Patients with bowed knees, the knee is bending outwards.
- Patients with knock knees, the knees are pointing inwards.
- Patients who cannot bend their knees because of boney overgrowth.
- Patients with knee stiffness that limits everyday activities.
- Patients with chronic knee inflammation and swelling that does not improve with rest or medications.
But if you can still work, your knee still bends, you are still walking a golf course, there can be alternatives to knee replacement that you have not tried yet, and that will be explained below.
You will also be a candidate for knee replacement if these treatments failed to improve your condition:
- anti-inflammatory medications,
- or other arthroscopic knee surgeries.
But the question many people ask is Did i try everything
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Unispacer Knee Replacement Alternative
When a patient has osteoarthritis, their knee cartilage progressively wears away, leaving the femur and tibia bones to rub against each other without a cushion. The result is pain, stiffness, inflammation, and bone spur development.
Scientists have developed a device called the Unicondylar Interpositional Spacer or Unispacer. The device is inserted into the knee joint. It acts as a spacer to separate the two leg bones. The procedure is less invasive than knee replacement surgery but is not as effective for most patients with advanced arthritis.
The Different Types Of Knee Injections As An Alternative To Knee Replacement Surgery
We have given a lot of research and tried to present information on the good and bad of knee replacement. Again we want to stress that many people do very well with knee replacement surgery. These are people that we do not see at our center. We see the people for whom knee replacement is not an option because the person is not a good surgical candidate, the person who cannot wait any longer for knee replacement and needs to do something now. We also see the person who is working and cannot take the time off from work or the person who is a caregiver to a partner or spouse and they themselves cannot be laid up, for months.
Here we are briefly going to present the various knee injection options that may help you avoid knee surgery. We have a much more comprehensive article with expanded research here: The different types of knee injections.
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Bone On Bone Knee Pain Treatments
Knee surgery can be a daunting prospect for many. If you are looking for alternatives to manage your pain you are not alone. Other possible options range from pain-killing drugs, injections, exercise, weight loss, and knee braces. Typically it is recommended that you combine several of these methods in order to achieve the best results.3Check out the comprehensive guide to osteoarthritis treatment.
Study: When Given More Information A Group Of 65 Year
Continuing this line of research, a September 2022 paper from Canadian researchers demonstrated in the journal Osteoarthritis and cartilage open the following findings:
The average patient in this study was about 65 years old, was more likely to be a female than a male, and had a Body Mass Index classified as obese. According to the researchers the average patient was experiencing mild/moderate symptoms of depression, moderate to severe osteoarthritis symptoms, and moderate to severe pain or discomfort.
The group then were divided into two. One group of patients would receive a one page summary of the surgeons report / recommendation along with possible outcomes and issues following the knee replacement surgery as a decision making help tool. One group would not get the decision making help tool and be given routine information on their recommendation to knee replacement.
Again, when given more information, the group of 65 year-olds, with their health problems, were less likely to have surgery, than their counterparts who received no such information. This confirms research like that above and other studies that suggest trends in a reduction in surgery have been seen in previous studies of decision aids in total knee replacement) in similar contexts to this. Importantly, studies of decision aids in underserved populations have shown an increase in surgery.
What made these people change their mind and not have the surgery?
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Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell knee therapy is becoming a popular alternative to knee replacement surgery. Through a method known as autologous transplantation, the cells are extracted from the patients bone marrow or fatty tissue, processed, and immediately injected into the damaged knee.
The procedure, performed within a single day, could provide the same results in a less traumatic way, without the risks of complications such as infection and blood clots. Many patients experience improvement within as little as one week.*
Some experts say that even most patients are able to return to normal activity following the procedure, which allows avoiding the painful and lengthy rehabilitation periods that are typically required after joint surgeries.
Patient Education The Longer You Wait For Knee Replacement The Less Likely You Will Want It
Lets again return to the theme of patient information. Here is an example of someone who contacted us and their reasoning for not going forward with a knee replacement.
- I have been avoiding knee replacement for years now. I was told years ago that knee replacement was my only option. I have been functioning with pain that has gotten progressively worse but I have survived it. I am now being told to get an MRI so a stronger recommendation can be made to get a knee replacement now. No other treatments have been offered to me, it is almost like it is knee replacement or the highway. I cannot take the time off from work, I am the only means of support for an extended family.
When people come into our office looking for an alternative for knee replacement, they come in with a new understanding of how knee replacement will impact their lives. Some NOT in a good way.
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Alternatives To Knee Surgery
Loud crunching when climbing stairs, chronic pain and constant swelling: osteoarthritis in the knee is a very uncomfortable type of pain. If you suffer from knee problems like the ones described, knee surgery is one option. But is that really always necessary? What therapeutic alternatives are there? In this post, we’ll give you a few options that might help with your knee pain.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections Or Viscosupplementation For Knee Osteoarthritis
Much like cortisone, it is very likely that this knee injection treatment has been explained to you already by your orthopedist. It is a conservative care plan to help you try to manage along until you can get a knee surgery scheduled or you are trying to do everything you can to avoid the knee surgery.
Also like cortisone, you may have already had viscosupplementation and the effects and benefits have now worn off and you need to treat your knee differently. For some people, they may not even be reading this sentence because they have moved down the article to other treatments because this one is no longer an option for them.
Over the years we have seen many patients who have been on the gel shots. These shots are more known by their brand names: Euflexxa ®, Supartz ® Supartz FX ®, Synvisc-One ®, Synvisc ®, Hyalgan ®, Orthovisc ®, et al. All these products offer subtle differences in their treatment goals including the number of injections however, none of them offer a permanent solution. This is what the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons posted on their website:
The theory is that adding hyaluronic acid to the arthritic joint will facilitate movement and reduce pain. The most recent research, however, has not found viscosupplementation to be effective at significantly reducing pain or improving function. Although some patients report pain relief with the procedure, some people are not helped by the injections.
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